AnnalisaLopez

DesiraeSainz
PeterMoung
AdrianMiguel
ScottLigon
AlonsoMendoza

DebateProposal

In2014,Facebookgainedscrutinyforalteringtheinformationfoundwithintheirusers
newsfeedasapartofasocialexperiment.Thenewsgainedcontroversyasthepublicbegantolose
trustwiththepopularsocialwebsite.Withinthenextweek,OKCupidscofounder,Christian
Rudder,admittedthathiscompanyhasusedtheircustomer'sinformationtoperformsocial
experiments.Althoughthesetestshavebeenconductedtoimprovethequalityofthewebsite,
OKCupidsdecisionstotamperwiththeirusersdatahascreatedacontroversyofwhetherornot
theyshouldtrustgivinginformationtothewebsite.

InablogpostbyRudder,underOKCupidsblogsite,thecofounderdiscusseshowthe

companyhasperformedmultipleexperimentsallwhichinvolvetheinformationgivenbyits
customersinordertomonitorthebehaviorpatternsoftheirusersandtocheckifthewebsites
algorithmisuptostandards.Rudderdefendsthecompanysactionsbystatingthatifapersonuses
theInternet,[theyre]thesubjectofhundredsofexperimentsatanygiventime,oneverysite
(
site
).Thesesetofexperimentswereconductedtohelprenewthelifeofthewebsiteafterthe
applicationwastakendowntheappstoresixmonthsafteritsinitialrelease.Withintheapplications
firstdayoflaunching,thecompanydecidedtoremovetheprofilephotosofeveryusersundera
temporarytimeslot.ThiswasadvertisedasLoveisBlindunderasapromotionforthe
applicationsfirstlaunch.Thetimeslotofthephotosremovallastedforsevenhours.Accordingto

Rudder,bythetimeOKCupidenabletheusersprofilestobevisible,theonlineactivitybetween
differentpeopledroppedincomparisontowhentheprofilepicturesweretemporarilyremoved.The
companynotesthat
conversationsweredeeper,peopleresponded44%moreoftentofirstmessages,
andcontactexchangeshappenedquicker
duringthehourswithouttheprofilephotos(
source
).This
statistichelpedsparkedthecuriosityofthecompany,andtheyconductedresearchintotheir
experiment.Rudderlookedupthedataofwhousedtheirblinddatingapplication,andhediscovered
thatusersreportedthattheyhadagoodtimeregardlessofhowgoodlookingtheirdatewas.
Thesecondexperimentthecompanyconductedinvolvedthei
mplementationofavoting
system
towardstheirclientspersonalitybasedoffofthecomparisonoftheirprofilepictureandtheir
profiledescription.InOKCupidsoriginallayout,thewebsiteincludedavotingsysteminwhich
gavepeopletwoseparatescalesforjudgingeachother,personalityandlooks(
source
).The
resultsshownthattheapplicationsusersrankedotheruserscharacterbasedonbothappearanceand
personality.Anothertestwasconductedinusersratedprofilesthatonlyhadphotosandnotexts.
Ruddersuspectedthathumannaturewoulddominatethedecisionsusersmake,andhereportedthat
votesprovedthatninetypercentoftheuserswouldspendtimewithapersonwhoisveryattractive
despitehavingnothingdescribedaboutthemintext.
ThemostfamousandcontroversialsocialexperimentsRudderadmittedtothepublic
involvesthematchingsystemwithinOKCupidswebsite.
Thefirstexperimentinvolveduserswho
havealowcompatibilitypercentage.Thecompanytookuserswhoactuallyhada30%chanceof
beingcompatibleandtoldtheusersthattheyare90%compatible.Tofurtherpersuadetheusersthat
theyarecompatiblewithoneanother,OKCupidactivelyinformstheircustomersthattheywould
makeagreatcouple.Thisexperimentwasalsoconductedtoseeifcouplesweretorespondandsend

moremessageswithoneanotheriftheyweretoldthattheyareapositivematch.
Thecompanyhas
seentheresultofuserswouldbetwiceasabletosendaboutfourmessagestooneanother.
The
secondexperimentinvolvedOKCupidreversingthecompatibility,andtheytoldtheiruserswhoare
compatibleforeachotherthattheyarenotmadeforeachother.Thisexperimentwasperformedin
ordertoseeiftheirmatchingalgorithmwasaccurate.Theresultsshowedthatthesepeoplestillhad
longconversations,tothecompanysrelief.
Theuserswhohavehadtheirresultstamperedwithwerenottoldaboutthechangespriorto
OKCupidsexperiment.Attheendoftheexperiments,OKCupidmessagedtheirusersandtoldthem
theircorrectpercentage.However,inthepersonalemail,thecompanydidnotspecificallymention
thattheircustomerswereunderanexperiment.Insteadthecompanyusedtoldtheirusersthatitwas
becauseofa
diagnosticstest
thattheircompatibilityresultswereskewed.OnOKCupidswebsite,
theuseragreementdoesstatethatthecustomerspersonaldata
maybeusedinresearchand
analysis
.Legally,OKCupidsownerHumorRainbowInc.hasincludedastatementinitstermsand
conditionsthatinformationthatisgivenbytheusersthatstatesthattheyarenotresponsibleforthe
accuracy,reliabilityorqualityofanyinformationorservicesprovidedorproductssoldatthese
sites(
source
).
BloombergTVsreporter,CoryJohnson,believesifcompaniescontinuetotamper
withtheusersdata,thecustomerswould
continuetofightback
.
Onlinedatingwebsitesareapartofa$2billiondollarindustry.Aspeoplebecome
increasinglycomfortablewiththeInternet,onlinedatingsitesaresuretoseeindustrygrowth.In
2010,onlinedatingintroductionsledtomorethantwicethenumberofmarriagesversuspeoplewho
metatclubs,bars,orothersocialeventscombined(
source
).Somewebsiteschargefortheirservices,
butotherslikeOKCupidarefree.Theyofferadditionaloptionsthatareavailableforusersto

purchase,suchasadblockersorfilterstoalteryourmatches.OKCupidsbusinessmodelthriveson
peoplebeingsingle(
source
).Oncepeopledeveloprelationshipsandgetmarried,theircustomerbase
decreases.IncreasingdivorceratescontributetothebusinessofdatingwebsiteslikeOKCupid.This
isrelevanttotheissueoftamperingwithuser'sdatabecausedoingsowouldbefortheirown
economicgrowth.
Match.compurchasedOKCupidin2011for$50billiondollars(
source
).BothMatch.com
andOKCupidareownedbyIAC,whichisaleadingmediaandInternetcompanythatownsover150
onlinebrands/websites.In2015,Match.comandOKCupidhopedtoraiseupto$446.2millioninan
initialpublicoffering,whichwouldputthevalueofthedatingsitecompanyataround$3billion
(
source
).TheirIPOofabout33.3millionsharesoffersharesbetween$12and$14pershare.
OKCupidhopestorepaydebtowedtoIACwiththeirnetproceeds.
Thereareafewstakeholdergroupsthataredirectlyaffectedbythemisuseofdata.Primarily,
theusers.OKCupiduserswhoaresubjecttotheexperimentarebeingliedtowithouttheir
knowledge.TheparticulargroupofusersthatwastalkedaboutbyRudder,wasmatchedwithpeople
theyhadnocompatibilitywithandweretoldtheywerefullycompatibletoseehowthingsworked
out.Inotherwords,thegroupofuserswasliedto,Rudderstatedthatonlyasmallgroupofusers
weretestedonbuthowdopeopleknowthisistrue?Thisiswhatleadtomanyusersbeingunhappy
withthedatingsite.Anothergroupofstakeholdersarethestockholders.OKCupidisasubsidiaryof
MatchGroup.MatchjustrecentlywentpublicinNovemberof2015.Thecurrentstockpricefor
Matchisaround$9.40,whichhasbeenonasteadydeclinesinceitsopeningstockpriceofaround
$16.00.Ifthestockholdersknowthecompanyhasbeentamperingwithinformationwhichleadsto
unhappyusers,theywilltendtosellstockwhichdecreasesthevalue.Lastly,theothergroupof

stakeholdersaretheemployeesofOKCupid.Thesitelistsashaving47employees.Developers,
designers,whateverroletheymayhave,somecouldlosetheirjobsifmultipleusersdecidethatthey
arentcomfortableusingtheapplication.
Technologicalfactorsthatcanbeimprovedisbyremovinghumanexperimentationand
creatinganAIsoadvancethatitcanmimichumaninteractions.WithAIsimplemented,theycan
simulaterealuserthoughtprocessandfeelings.Collectingpersonalitiesfrommultiplepeopleand
askingforconsentcanaddtotheAIdatabase.Withthismethodnoonewilleverbesubjectto
humanexperimentationwithouttheiractivelyknowingconsent.ThecurrentalgorithmofOkCupid
isntreallyanalgorithmwhenthepowerofsuggestionfaresstrongerthanthealgorithm.Withthis
technologicalproposal,wewouldnthavealittlebrother,butonlyabigbrothertoworryaboutnow.
Thefirstonlinematchmakerdatingsitewaslaunchedroughlytwodecadesago.Eversince
thetherelease,ithasrevolutionizedthewaypeoplesocializewithoneanother.Accordingtothe
OnlineDatingAssociation,onlinedatingisthemostcommonwaythatrelationgetstartedinthe
UnitedKingdom.Asmoreandmorepeoplebegansigningupforonlinedatingotheronlinesite
suchasMatch.com,Harmony,Framersonly,ChristianMingleandZooskformedtocompetewith
oneanothertomatchpeople.Newuserssignuptomeetnewpeoplebutsomedontknowwhatthey
arelookingforhowever,thefirstruleofonlinedatingsiteisknowingwhatyouwantfromthe
beginning.Itcanbefuntomeetingsomeonehumbleandcaringbutafterexchangingafewmessages
itcanbeadisappointmentbecausetheotherpersonmayhavedifferentideasanddreamsthenyours.
Forexample,eHarmonyiswellknownfortheirsuccessinmarriageshowever,thereisa90minute
questionnaire,120questionsanda$59.99onemonthfee.Thedisappointmentaboutmarriage
throughonlinedatingprocessisthattoomanycouplesareintheprocessofadivorceorhave

finalizedtheirpaperwork.Itisalsohardforpeoplewhoaretryingtomoveonbecauseofonline
dating,eithermovingonfromtheirfirstmarriageorrelationship.Withthegrowthofonlinedating
sites,therearethosethatoffertheirservicesfreebutalsohaveaonetimefee.Ifanewuserwereto
usethefreeversionoftheapplicationthenheorshewillbelimitedtootheruserstheymeet.
However,thosethatpaytheonetimefeeareofferedmorefeatures.Themorecontendingapplication
inAmericaasidefromharmonyandotherdatingsiteareHappn,HingeandTinder.These
applicationarededicatedtobeingserioustoallowingthepeopletogoondatesinstantly.Although
manyonthesitecanlieaboutthemselvesandcanbemisleadingtojoinonlinedatingapps.
TheConsofthisissuearevastandreflectthestrongestpointsofourargumentagainstthe
issue.Themainnegativeissueisthattherewasexperimentsdoneontheuserswithouttheir
knowledge.ThisleadtoOkCupiduserstobematchedwithpeoplewhotheywereactually30%
compatiblewith(
site
).ThedishonestyofOkCupidcausedonaskepticismwiththeusersaswellas
mayhavecausedtheusertoleavethesite.Thisdiminishedthecredibilityofthewebsite.Lookingat
thecontrastingviewthereareagroupofOkCupiduserswhoarenotlookingforrelationshipsthese
userswerenotaffectedbytheexperiment.Althoughthenewalgorithmmaynothavemade
compatiblematchesforrelationshipsitmayhavemadematchesforthealternative.Theexperiment
mayhaveimprovedtheOkCupidalgorithm.Finallythepowerofsuggestionmayhaveworkedinthe
companysfavor.Regardlessiftheexperimentwassuccessfulthecompanystillmisinformedtheir
usersandthatisstillisinarguable.
Althoughitisveryimportantfortheonlineservicetoprovidethebestqualityofmatching
peopletogether,performingfullyawaresocializedexperimentsontheirusersshouldnotbethesole
methodinimprovingtheirservice.Informinguserswhoarenotcompatiblewithoneanotherorvice

versacontradictstheverypurposeofthedatingserviceitself.Thiscancausecustomerswhoare
seekinghelptolosetrustindatingsites.Ifthecompanydoeswanttoimprovetheirmatching
service,theyshouldfirstimprovethealgorithmsformatchingindividualstogether.

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